In honor of Supernatural reaching the jaw dropping and amazing length of 12 seasons – and counting- here is a rundown of the top five reasons to grab some pie, snuggle up under some blankets, and binge watch Winchester boys doing what they do best, saving people, hunting things, the family business. Be forewarned, spoilers galore below!
1. The Lore
Supernatural all started because John Winchester went missing, and looking for him got younger brother Sam Winchester’s girlfriend Jessica murdered in the exact same way the boys’ mother was murdered years ago, putting them back together in the 1967 Impala on the hunt for things that go bump in the night, but specifically a yellow eyed demon. The boys have hunted everything from Rugarus to the usual vampires/werewolves/zombies to the Yellow Eyed Demon to ghosts to creepy clowns to creepy possessed kids to not possessed yet somehow creepier kids-looking at you cannibal twins.
Remember to keep the salt nearby because you’re going to need it. Angels and demons have definitely provided the longest and some of the richest arcs since the show premiered in 2005 but Supernatural has also paid homage to Slenderman and even created some monsters of its own in tulpas and the hilariously named Jefferson Starships. Because of course they are terrible, and hard to kill. Sampling from religions and monsters from all over the world has made Supernatural one of the most interesting when it comes to things that go bump in the night.
2. The Bromance/Family
Jared Padalecki and Jenson Ackles were so young when they started playing Sam and Dean Winchester, and their chemistry has always been amazing- some think a little too amazing- but that relationship has always been front and center in the show. It truly feels unbalanced to have the characters angry at each other for too long. Because they lost their mother at such a young age Dean pretty much raised Sam, so they have one of the closest bonds that even Death himself can’t stop. He’s tried. Like at least twice.
Fellow hunter Bobby Singer famously said that “family doesn’t end with blood” and the Winchester boys really took that to heart. So long as you were loyal and fought the good fight, you were family. Ellen and Jo Harvelle certainly qualify, and there couldn’t have been a dry eye in front of tv/laptop/other screens when they went out in a blaze of glory. And Castiel. Full blown angel from heaven who gripped Dean tight and raised him from perdition, Cas is absolutely family too.
3. The Music
The music of Supernatural adds yet another layer to the shows mythology. Dean modelled himself off of his dad who loved classic rock music, so when he drives- and thus, picks the music- his cassettes were classic rock. For some this is a walk down memory lane hearing AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Led Zeppelin, while for others it serves as an introduction. Bon Jovi’s “Dead or Alive” duet by the boys in No Rest for the Wicked was such a sobering moment with the song encapsulating new revelations for the characters.
The season finale episode is always a recap set to “Carry On My Wayward Son” by Kansas. Not going to lie, season five’s recap almost had me in tears. Asia’s super catchy “Heat of the Moment” gets introduced Groundhog Day style in Mystery Spot and once it get in you cannot stop singing it. While a spiritual rather than a rock song, “O Death” made for a most arresting slow motion entrance for the character Death himself. Not only do the songs ground the show, the boys have often used famous rock musicians as aliases, and only rarely do people catch on. And last but not least, the end credits of Yellow Fever gave us the most hilarious lip sync with Jensen Ackles hamming it up to “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor.
4. The Fandom
Supernatural has a very strong fanbase which runs the gamut from casual watchers to serious aficionados who collect everything and follow the boys on social media to the hardcore slash writers who show their love for the show in ink and cosplay. And each and every one of those fans are awesome. Thanks to such a strong fanbase the show reached and created a new record of 12 seasons, beating out other geek favorites such as Buffy, Charmed, Xena, X-Files, and Smallville.
Speaking of other geeky favs, Supernatural has quite a roster, with multiple Whedonverse alums such as Chad Lindberg (Ash) James Marsters (Don Stark), Charisma Carpenter (Maggie Stark), and vegan vampire Amber Benson (Tara). Amy Acker makes a brief appearance all the way back in season 1 as a local girl Andrea Barr. The most recognizable faces would be Tahmoh Penikett (Gadreel/Ezekiel/Zeke) from both Battlestar Galactica and Dollhouse, not to mention our favorite red haired Potential-turned-Slayer Felicia Day (Charlie) from Buffy and the super snarky King of Hell Mark Sheppard (Crowley) from Firefly. And then of course there was that one time Snooki from Jersey Shore popped up.
Not only does Supernatural boast its stars are quite spectacular in their own right, with Jared Padalecki being a vocal supporter of mental health awareness and creating merchandise that benefits the charity organization To Write Love on Her Arms. Seeing a tv star be vocal and open about how clinical depression has impacted his life can only help to lessen the stigma against mental health issues. Also, Mischa Collins GISHWHES scavenger hunt helps make contributions to the charity Random Acts. Not too shabby guys, not too shabby.
5. The Humor
Supernatural can get dark. The cover art and show got progressively darker and darker tonally as the body count piled up. This makes sense because they boys have been hunting for over a decade now and get a bit world-and hell- weary. But one thing that has always helped the show stay insanely watchable is the humor. Sam and Dean have great sibling banter, best illustrated in episodes like Tall Tales where Sam and Dean give their own versions of what happens at a bar to father figure Bobby Singer. They both look equally ridiculous in each other’s heads, js.
Supernatural loves its humor, and is not afraid to get meta from time to time. In the past 200+ episodes Sam and Dean have read about their slash fiction, seen their lives made into a book series, seen that book series turned into an all girls musical, and played Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki playing Sam and Dean in an alternate universe in The French Mistake.
